ANNUAL REPORT 1ST JANUARY 2024 TO THE YEAR-END 31ST DECEMBER 2024
BLACK2NATURE IS A CHARITY, (ENGLAND & WALES), REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER 1192436 REGISTERED OFFICE: 257 ASHLEY DOWN RD, BRISTOL, BS7 9BW, UNITED KINGDOM
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
| Page No. | |
|---|---|
| Introduction | 3-4 |
| Website & Social Media Links | 4 |
| Executive Summary - Vision, Aims, Mission & Values | 5-6 |
| President's Statement | 7 |
| Chair's Statement | 8-9 |
| Camps & Activities | 10 |
| Financial Overview | 11 |
| Black2Nature - Balance Sheet | 12 |
| Black2Nature Consolidated statement of financial activities |
13 |
| Statement of cash flows | 14 |
| Independent Examiner’s report to the Trustees | 15 |
| Black2Natures - Approach to Equalities Data | 16 |
| Trustees | 17 |
| Attendees - Equalities Monitoring Data | 18-19 |
| Public engagement - Data | 20 |
| Trustee declaration | 21 |
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INTRODUCTION
The Black2Nature Trustees present their report along with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 December 2024..
What sets Black2Nature apart from many other organisations working with Visible Minority Ethnic (VME) communities in the nature space is that it is a registered charity, and so its founder is not able to benefit financially from its work. We rely on funding and donations and are therefore able to ensure that all our nature camps, day events, and activities are free. We focus our activities on inner-city VME children and teenagers from the 10% of the most deprived wards in the UK. We refer to the Charities Commission guidance to ensure all our work is for the public benefit. It is important to us to target those most in need, rather than those VME people who can afford to pay for activities or who already have access to nature, and so the most marginalised. We also do not ask for deposits, as we believe these create financial barriers for families. We engage with those who are from the most deprived, marginalised, and under-represented VME communities. Many of these young people are experiencing food poverty, arriving for activities hungry. Therefore, providing healthy and filling meals is important to being able to engage young people. This led to a higher sum being spent on food in 2024 compared to 2023
We ensure we have VME young volunteers and youth workers who can support and inspire the young people in different aspects of their lives. They act as role models, supporting our young people with mental health issues, racism experienced, and increasing educational attainment and aspirations.
During 2024, we have successfully run lots of camps and day events. These have been mainly for young people aged 8-18 years old. We have also organised events for parents, families, and adults. We had an extremely busy easter and summer, running HAF (Holiday Activities and Food programme) day trips each day of the holidays, as well as our regular camps. The HAF activities only covered young people in receipt of free school meals, which many struggling parents felt excluded from. We received funding to pay for food and food parcels from Feed Bristol, but overall, the amount of funding obtained in 2024 was less than in 2023 due to increased competition.
We are continuing to hear from VME teenagers that they were being negatively
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especially in sixth form. We encouraged them to aim high, motivating them to work harder and exceed their teachers' expectations.
Mya-Rose Craig, our President, continued to inspire and act as a role model for thousands of young people through Black2Nature activities and events, school events, and other events aimed at secondary age teenagers.
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Ourselves and Mya-Rose have also attended and spoken at lots of high-profile events to promote Black2Nature to the environmental sector. However, MyaRose was studying at Cambridge University during the first half of 2024 and so focused on the most impactful events. We are grateful to her for using her influence, activities, and huge social media presence to promote Black2Nature.
As in previous years, we have had a tremendous response to all the activities we organised for our camps and events, which included bird ringing, pond dipping, bio blitz, birdwatching walks, and nature arts and crafts, which are popular with all ages and both sexes. When possible, we provide children with fish and chips and ice-creams, a huge treat and something most of our children do not have at home. We organised camps and events visiting a range of locations, including Chew Valley Lake, Mendip Activity Centre, Slimbridge, Dartmoor National Park, and Skomer Island for teenagers from Cardiff, which was funded by National Geographic and in partnership with The Welsh Wildlife Trust. It is extremely rewarding to watch children engage with nature for the first time. We are proud to have had a 100% success rate in nature engagement by making nature relevant.
We continued to receive high numbers of young people with educational needs. We had to allow for this in our staffing levels, assessing the children ourselves when they arrive at events adding extra cost to our events
We have continued to find it difficult to raise money through grants. .
Website & Social Media
Website: https://black2nature.org Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/officialblack2nature/ Twitter : https://bit.ly/46yTjKD
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/OfficialB2N
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Black2Nature is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) with a constitution as its governing document.
Vision
Delivering equal access to nature to the hugely under-represented VME demographic in the UK.
Aims, purposes and objectives
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To advance in life and help children and young people, in particular from Visible Minority Ethnic communities across the UK through:
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The provision of recreational and leisure time activities provided in the interest of social welfare, designed to improve their conditions of life;
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Providing support and activities which develop their skills, capacities and capabilities to enable them to participate in society as mature and responsible individuals.
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To advance the education of children and young people, in particular from VME communities across the UK, in the subject of nature, conservation, and the environment.
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To promote equality and diversity for the public benefit across the UK.
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By being the lead national organisation in terms of achieving equal
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access to nature and the environment, running camps again for children and teenagers & other groups throughout England and Wales, focusing on partnerships made across the UK and building case studies of success stories.
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To promote equality and diversity for the public benefit across the UK by:
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the elimination of discrimination on the grounds of race, gender, disability, sexual orientation or religion;
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advancing education and raising awareness in equality and diversity; promoting activities to foster understanding between people from diverse backgrounds;
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cultivating a sentiment in favour of equality and diversity and advancing diversity in particular, but not exclusively racial diversity, within the environmental sector so that they better represent the racial diversity of the UK in their workforces, volunteers, trustees,
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Our Aims includes:
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Demonstrating to VME communities how they can enjoy, connect and learn the benefits of being outside and understanding it as part of their cultural heritage..
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Breaking down the barriers to VME people entering natural spaces, such as those summarised at our Race Equality in Nature Conferences. Increasing the number of VME people working within the environmental sector from 0.6% to the 13% national average as well as in senior roles, through partnership working;
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Changing attitudes and challenging racism within the nature, conservation and environmental sectors, in a way that facilitates positive change but which makes significant change.
Mission
Entice VME communities to engage with their natural environment in order to better reflect the ethnic diversity of the UK in natural spaces.
Our Values - What really matters to us
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Caring about both nature and human wellbeing and diversity;
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Encouraging VME communities to care about nature, the environment, saving species, stopping climate change & promoting human diversity; Reducing mental illness stigmatisation, promoting mental health and wellbeing as important advantages of going into nature;
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Promoting anti-racist practices and supporting the VME community where they face discrimination. Use young role models such as MyaRose Craig and Ayesha Ahmed-Mendoza to inspire and educate the young people who attend our events.
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VME communities should be encouraged to relate to nature as part of their cultural heritage. These skills will be seen to be breaking down barriers to encourage more VME people and communities to access nature.
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Ensuring that Black2Nature’s messages and purpose remains relevant to our target audience.
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Primarily engaging with stakeholders; boards, employees/volunteers, membership, the press, change-making organisations, and champions for change and be seen to be the leader for a solution in the UK.
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PRESIDENT'S STATEMENT
I started organising my first nature camp when I was 12 years old. Since then, I have become a high-profile environmental and anti-racist activist and spent the first half of 2024 in my third year at Cambridge University, studying Human, Social, and Political Sciences, which developed my knowledge and understanding of racism and climate justice. During 2024, I appeared on lots of TV, radio, panels, webinars, podcasts, events, and also gave interviews for newspapers and magazines. I also spoke to 25,000 school children.
I appeared in the Sunday Times' 25 most inspiring people under 30 years old, hosted the Kew Garden Podcast, appeared on BBC Radio 2 and Radio 4, was the keynote speaker at The Race Summit 2024, talked to the Secretary of State for the Environment, Steve Reed MP, and his team about his aim to increase Access to Nature and did a vox pox with him aimed at young people about biodiversity COP16. I also talked at the House of Commons Committee for the Environment, demonstrating that Black2Nature is key to these discussions, attended the biodiversity COP16 in Cali with Greenpeace, appeared in The Guardian, and on panels with Hamza Yasin and Greta Thunberg. I engaged with millions of people through my work and the media, and also attended Black2Nature events, engaging, inspiring, and motivating the children and teenagers to connect with nature and their future.
I remain well-connected with those who are senior in the environmental sector nationally, and so allow Black2Nature to have a disproportionately positive impact on the sector.
Mya-Rose Craig Honorary President
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CHAIR'S STATEMENT
Welcome to Black2Nature's Annual Report for 2024.
As Chair of the Board of Trustees in 2024 I supported Black2Nature to grow and consolidate the work it does so that it can increase its impact, reaching more VME communities, engaging them with nature, helping them enjoy, connect, and learn about nature and wildlife to improve their mental and physical health and well-being and enable them to engage in the fight for environmental justice. VME communities can not engage with stopping climate change if they do not understand why we should protect the planet and learn to care for it. Many have little knowledge about environmental issues that are impacting our lives and our planet.
We engaged with 14,000 young people, families, and adults in 2024. We believe it is important to support VME young people who are the most marginalised. Our attendees are some of the most disadvantaged VME young people in Bristol and also the UK. We have a 100% success rate in nature engagement. This includes teenagers who are experiencing disciplinary issues at school. For a fairer society, we need to improve mental and physical health. This will reduce the pressure on society, schools, and the NHS. Also, educating young people about environmental issues will help our communities understand climate justice and the causes and impact of climate change. In 2024, we ran two events for young people and families from Cardiff, which we hope to continue in 2025. Our Cardiff partner was Amanah Cymru, who share our values. One was a 5-day trip to Pembrokeshire and Skomer Island, which the teenagers described as lifechanging.
Black2Nature and Mya-Rose Craig also appeared in an 8-minute feature promoting Black2Nature activities on CBBC’s Blue Peter, with 50,000 teenage audience. BBC Points West also filmed at a camp.
We also organised a Bristol conference for those in the nature film-making sector on making the sector more ethnically diverse. Speakers included Chris Packham, Gillian Burke, Dwayne Fields, Blak Wave Productions, Silverback Films, Plimsoll Productions, Bristol University, UWE MA in Wildlife filmmaking, War on Want, and Survival International.
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We had exceptional feedback, for example, “I loved the conference - massive 5 from me. I learned so much and still find reflections and knowledge, and connections into my life and work often". Following on from our 2024 conference (see 'second key outcome' below), we held a feedback session for 30 VME teenagers, looking at whether they watch nature TV and their viewing habits.
The statistics indicate that the number of VME people working within the climate sector has risen from 0.6% in February 2016 to 7% in 2024. We believe that the percentage across the nature and conservation sectors will be significantly less. The number of VME people within our society is approximately 18%, which is the target that Black2Nature is targeting for the nature, conservation and environmental sectors as a whole. Since we started engaging with nature and environmental NGO's in 2015, we have seen a huge step change in their engagement with Equality, Diversity and Inclusion within their organisations due to our education, consultative work through talks, events, articles, and the media.
Based on the evidence I believe that Black2Nature has therefore been crucial to the positive changes that have taken place through the hard work of our diversity and communities led, Lily Khandker, Mya-Rose Craig, and myself, leading the way, having established ourselves as prominent speakers on this topic and increasing interest in our diversity work through Mya-Rose’s PR work. This is also evident from the number of organisations seeking out Black2Nature's assistance in becoming more ethnically diverse and the number of prominent organisations seeking Mya-Rose out to become an ambassador or speaker.
Since we started engaging with nature and environmental NGO's we have seen a huge step change in their engagement with Equality, Diversity and Inclusion within their organisations. Based on available evidence, we believe that Black2Nature has been crucial to the changes that have taken place within the sector, through talks, events, articles, and the media. This is evident from the number of organisations seeking out Black2Nature's assistance in becoming more ethnically diverse and the number of prominent organisations seeking Mya-Rose out to become an ambassador or speaker.
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CAMPS, ACTIVITIES & EVENTS 2024
In 2024, Black2Nature held 60 camps, activities and events. We ran 20 day trips, 4x one-night/two-day residential camps for 8-12 year olds, 6x twonight/three day and 1x five day residential camps for 13-18 year-olds and we ran 29 HAF day trips throughout the Easter and Summer holidays.
The cost-of-living crisis has continued to have a significant impact on Black2Nature’s work with children impacted by poverty, especially food poverty. We therefore decided to provide filling meals to children whilst they are in our care. This has meant that the budget for food at events was higher.
These included nature activities, with birding ringing, mothing, butterflies, bats, bird and nature walks, night birding, pond dipping, bio blitz, nature photography and art, star gazing, campfires, and toasting marshmallows. We also ran tree planting days, tree caring days, and family days out.
We also ran activities combined with nature activities, such as climbing, abseiling, archery, bush craft, sailing, kayaking, paddle boarding, skateboard for girls, nature theatre day, surfing days for boys, girls and women.
Some of the places we partnered with include Langaford Farm (Dartmoor NP), RSPB Franchises Lodge (New Forest NP), Pembrokeshire, Skomer Island, Paddington Farm, Blenheim Palace, Mendip Activity Centre, Cotswold National Landscape, Blenheim Palace, Worthy Farm (Glastonbury Festival).
We also ran a Race Equality in Nature Filmmaking & Creative Sector 2024 Conference in Partnership with Bristol University
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FINANCIAL OVERVIEW
As required under our legal obligation as a charity, Black2Nature has produced its financial accounts to cover the period from 1st January 2023 to 31st December 2023.
As part of this financial overview, we have produced:-
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Black2Nature - Balance Sheet
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Black2Nature - Consolidated statement of financial activities
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Statement of cash flows
These accounts were then independently examined and an Independent examiner's report was produced and signed off.
We had to manage with less funding in 2024 compared to 2023, but did raise £15,000 from a December crowdfunder.
Our funds came from both grants and donations and were mainly restricted funds (to be used for nature camps and events) compared to 2023. We held reserves to cover £7,000 staff costs and £1,500 for general costs. Reserves are needed to ensure unforeseen events can be managed, to ensure the sustainability of the charity.
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| Black2Nature - BALANCE SHEET | ||
|---|---|---|
| 01 January 2024 to 31 December 2024 | 31/12/2024 | |
| £ | ||
| Fixed assets | 0.00 | |
| Intangible Fixed Assets | 0.00 | |
| Tangible Fixed Assets | 0.00 | |
| Investments | 0.00 | |
| Total | 0.00 | |
| Current assets | ||
| Debtors | 0.00 | |
| Stock | 0.00 | |
| Cash and bank and in hand | 90,684.02 | |
| Total | 90,684.02 | |
| Liabilities | ||
| Creditors: amounts falling due within one year | 0.00 | |
| Net current assets | 90,684.02 | |
| Total assets less current liabilites | 90,684.02 | |
| Creditors: amounts falling due after more then one year | 0.00 | |
| Net asssets | 90,684.02 | |
| Funds | ||
| Restricted funds | 86,402.01 | |
| Unrestricted funds | 4,282.00 | |
| Designated funds | 0.00 | |
| General funds | 0.00 | |
| Total charity funds | 90,684.01 | |
| The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to entities. Subject to the charities regime. Approved by the Trustees on 29 Oct 2025 (provisional date) |
||
| Helena Craig, Chair of Trustees HELENA CRAIG |
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| Black2Nature | Black2Nature | Black2Nature | Black2Nature | Black2Nature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consolidated statement of financial activities | ||||
| 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2024 | ||||
| Unrestricted | Restricted | Designated | Period Total | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Income and endowments from: | ||||
| Donations and legacies | 24,687.47 | 162,299.40 | 0.00 | 186,986.87 |
| Charitable activities | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Other trading activities | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Investment income | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Bank interest | 987.22 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 987.22 |
| Other income | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Foreign exchange gain | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Total | 25,674.69 | 162,299.40 | 0.00 | 187,974.09 |
| Expenditure on: | ||||
| Raising funds | ||||
| Cost of generating voluntary income | 180 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 180 |
| Charitable activities - camps/events | 21,258.47 | 102093.60 | 0.00 | 123,352.07 |
| Charitable activities - general costs | 1,3007.20 | 100,318.46 | 0.00 | 113,325.66 |
| Total resources expended | 34,445.67 | 202,412.06 | 0.00 | 236,857.73 |
| Net income/(expenditure) before transfers |
-8,802.07 | -40,112.66 | 0.00 | -48,883.64 |
| Transfers between funds | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Net movement in fund | -8,770.98 | -40,112.66 | 0.00 | -48,883.64 |
| Total funds brought forward | 13,052.98 | 126,514.67 | 0.00 | 139,567.65 |
| Total funds carried forward | 4,282.00 | 86,402.01 | 0.00 | 90,684.01 |
| All the above results are derived from continuing activities. There were no other recognised gains or losses than those stated above |
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| Black2Nature | Black2Nature |
|---|---|
| Statement of cash flows | |
| 01 January 2024 to 31 December 2024 | |
| 31/12/2024 | |
| £ | |
| Net cash provided by operating activities | 0.00 |
| Cash flows from investing activities | |
| Interest | 987.22 |
| Purchase of plant, property and equipment | 0.00 |
| Cash (used in)/provided by investing activities | 987.22 |
| Cash flows from financing activities | 0.00 |
| Drawdown of borrowing facilities | 0.00 |
| Cash provided by financing activities | 0.00 |
| Change in cash and cash equivalents in the year | -48,883.63 |
| Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year | 139,567.65 |
| Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year | 90,684.02 |
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Indopendont Oxaminor's roport to tho trustoos of Bla¢k2Naturo I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Black2Nature (the Trust) for the year ended 31 December 2024. Responsibilities and basis of report As the charity trustees of the Trust you are respjnsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance wth the requirement5 of the Charitie5 Act 20111.lhe Act,). I report in respect of my examinats'on of the Trust's acL7)unts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity commison under section 145(5)Ibl of the Act. Indapènd•nt oxamingr'$ slat•m•nt I have completed my examination. l Confirm Ihal no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect: 1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by sectic 130 of the Act.. or 2. the accounts do not accord with those records. I have no ncernS and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Signed.. Name.. Shalima Raza Relevant professional qualification or ffembership of professional bodies (if any): ACCA Part4Jualified A¢¢ountant Address: 55 Comell Way, Romford. RM5 2HW Date.. 28 October 2025 18
BLACK2NATURES APPROACH TO EQUALITIES DATA
Black2Nature understands and supports the collection of Equalities data, especially regarding its trustees, staff, and attendees at its different activities and camps.
Its approach to 'data-led inclusion' means looking at who we are, who has a seat at the table, and whom we are supporting so that we can intentionally and directly take action to readdress the inequities identified. We use our data to inform our decision-making processes and the development of inclusion strategies
When collecting this data we had to be aware and be sensitive to the fact that we had to maintain people's anonymity.
Trustee/staff - We did not collect new data as there have been no changes in Trustees or permanently employed staff. We did not publish our date for staff as we have only two staff members and did not want their personal data identified.
Attendees - The data we collected was:-
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Ethnicity Age Gender
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Faith
We collect data to ensure we engage all VME communities.
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TRUSTEES
| TRUSTEES | TRUSTEES |
|---|---|
| Trustees are elected to post after advertisement | |
| Helena Craig | Chair of Trustees |
| Sonia Morrison | Trustee |
| Jackie Davis | Trustee |
| Alex Chikani | Trustee |
| Afzal Shah | Trustee |
| Murshed Syed | Trustee |
Detailed information about the Trustees including monitoring information and staff are included in the Annual Report 2023
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ATTENDEES - EQUALITIES DATA
In total 14,100 young people and adults attended events, camps and activities through out 2024 with Black2Nature and Mya-Rose.
| Ethnic Origin of attendees |
|
|---|---|
| Pakistan | Sudan |
| Indian | White/Black African |
| Jamaica | White/Black Caribbean |
| Bangladesh | Algeria |
| Korean | China |
| Iran | White British |
| White/Asian | Other mixed/multiple Ethnic Backgrounds |
| Somalia | Chad |
| Nigeria | Ghana |
| Georgia | Guyana |
| Afghanistan | Morocco |
| Turkey | Barbados |
| Syria | Trinidad |
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ATTENDEES - EQUALITIES DATA
Faith of attendees Christian Muslim Sikh Buddhist Hindu Black Church No Religion
PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT - DATA
| Public Engagement | Public Engagement | Members of the public |
|---|---|---|
| Black2Nature social media | 120,000 | |
| Black2Nature TV and radio | 525,000 | |
| Direct community contacts | 9000 | |
| 45000 | ||
| 30000 | ||
| Telephone | 10,000 | |
| Mya-Rose events, TV, radio, podcasts and articles |
5,000,000 | |
| Mya-Rose Craig social media | 10,000,000 | |
| Mya-Rose schools talks | 25,000 | |
| Reach Total number of reach Direct through Events 40,000 Feeding Bristol 5,000 Laptop Project 250 |
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| Reach | Total number of reach | |
| Direct through Events | 40,000 | |
| Feeding Bristol | 5,000 | |
| Laptop Project | 250 |
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DECLARATION
| DECLARATION | DECLARATION |
|---|---|
| The Trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above. Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees |
|
| Signature | HELENA CRAIG |
| Full Name | Helena Craig |
| Position | Chair |
| Date | 30 October 2025 th |